


Octavia

by Mild Mannered Nath (Nathreee)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Consensual Kink, Educational, Femdom, Kink Negotiation, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25262827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nathreee/pseuds/Mild%20Mannered%20Nath
Summary: Octavia answers questions about her life as a hypnoDom and how hypnokink works





	1. Chapter 1

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

Dan adjusted his elegant black stetson and smiled in the general direction of the moaning sound. He wore a black button down shirt with dark red and blue flowers on it, and he seemed content to be just standing at the bar with a drink. 

Anton was almost two feet taller than Dan and was dressed in a plain white shirt that stretched too tightly across his chest, and jaunty purple striped slacks with matching suspenders. He seemed to be looking around the room, as if he was nervous for someone to arrive. "What time is it?" He asked Dan.

Dan produced a shiny silver pocketwatch and flipped it open. "Quarter past." He patted Anton on the muscular arm. "Don't sweat it."

Anton hung his head and stared into his drink. "I know, I know…"

Khalid came swaggering over from the other side of the dungeon in his tan suit. His dark green bow tie hung undone around his neck and he was smiling as he carelessly carried a bag with a number of coils of rope visible inside it. "My dudes!" He greeted them. "What's happening?"

Dan tipped his hat. "We're just waiting."

Khalid laid the bag on a chair and reached over the bar to pour himself a glass of water. "For?"

"Octavia…" Anton inhaled deeply and looked around the room again.

Khalid gently shook his head. "A lady worth waiting for. Mind if I join you?"

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Dan gave Khalid a smile.

Khalid twirled the tip of his moustache. "Tell me something, Dan."

Dan perked up and blinked at him with his big, brown eyes. 

"When she took your hat and dropped you in front of everyone, was that rehearsed in any way? Was it a hypnotic trigger?" 

Dan bowed his head and sighed. "No. That's just how well she knows how to handle me."

"Impressive…" Khalid sipped his water. "Do you know if she's going to give more classes?"

His question hung unanswered in the air, because Anton jumped for a second, and then tried to compose himself quickly. "There is she is!"

All three men turned to look towards the entrance, where a lady in a floorlength deep turquoise gown had appeared. She paused there for a second to take in the room, and then strode in a straight line towards them. Frozen like a deer in headlights, Anton wiped some sweat off his brow, while Khalid and Dan followed her with their eyes in a more calm manner.

Dan closed his eyes for a moment and bowed his head. "Good evening, My Lady."

Octavia held out her hand to him, and he gratefully leaned in to kiss it. She looked at Anton and Khalid in turn as she folded her hands together. "Gentlemen. How is the party?"

Anton smiled as he stared into her eyes. "Better now…"

She grinned at him. "Patience, big man. Patience."

"Can I pick your brain about something, Octavia?" Khalid asked as he put down his glass. "If you're not busy?"

"I have time." She smiled at Anton.

He swallowed and folded his massive hands behind his back, as if standing to attention.

She turned to Dan. "I'd like a glass of water."

Dan trotted off behind the bar to pour her a glass of water and bring it to her.

"What's on your mind, Khalid?" Octavia asked as she sipped her water.

"Hypnosis seems like such a complicated process when you first learn it." His eyes examined Dan and Octavia in turn. "I feel like I've only just scratched the surface, but all the ways to hypnotise a person seem to take a lot of time and effort. Yet you make it look so quick and easy. So how does that work?"

Octavia shook her head. "When I started out as a hypnotist, I started with the Elman induction, just like you. And the progressive relaxation induction. They are as good a place to start as any." She drained the glass of water and held it out in front of her.

Dan took the glass from her and brought it back to the sink behind the bar. As he returned to his place by her side, Anton and Khalid were both staring at him.

"That was not hypnosis, was it?" Octavia smiled mysteriously. "Nor did I tell him what to do, did I?"

Khalid frowned. "No. But what does that have to do with it?"

Octavia held up one finger, as if she was asking him to wait. She turned to Dan and took the hat off his head. Dan's eyes sparkled with anticipation, as Octavia handed the hat to Anton. "Can you hold onto this for a second?"

Anton nodded silently and carefully took the hat into his hands. His eyes were wide and there was a sheen of sweat on his shaved head.

Khalid and Anton both gasped when Octavia grasped Dan by the hair on the back of his head. Dan's arms hung limp at his sides as his eyes and mouth opened. She pulled his head back and up slightly until his legs were trembling. "Pay attention, love. Focus on me. Focus. And freeze now." She let go of him, gently laying her hands on his shoulders. The trembling stopped. The eyes remained open but the mouth closed. Dan stood there, motionless and frozen in place.

Octavia turned to Khalid with a smile. "Just like with the glass, I never told him what to do, nor did I prepare this. He just knows me. He knows what I like to do with him. He infers from the context what is expected of him, and he obeys to the best of his abilities, because I have never given him a reason not to obey me, and I have always rewarded him for his obedience."

Khalid nodded slowly, awestruck.

Anton stepped closer and waved the hat in front of Dan's glassy blank eyes. No reaction. "Fffuck…" He shot Octavia a look full of amazement.

She held his gaze for a moment. "I'm not saying I can do this to you immediately. Dan is a very experienced sub. But many things are possible."

Anton swallowed and slunk backward against the bar.

As Khalid opened his mouth to speak, Octavia held up one finger again. "Give me just one moment, will you?"

She turned back to Dan and took his face into both her hands. "Look at me, love. Focus on me. Come back. You did so well."

A shiver ran through Dan and he closed his eyes, resting his chin in Octavia's hands. "Thank you, My Lady."

She ran her fingers through his beard for a second and then stepped back to give him more space. "Maybe you should have a glass of water."

Dan nodded and went around the bar to pour himself some water. 

Octavia turned back to Khalid. "As I said, Dan is very experienced. If he feels like I am asking him to go into a hypnotic trance, he will. He has done it many times, so he knows how it works. No fancy words necessary. Clear intention is enough."

Khalid seemed to be thinking. "But if that's true, then why learn hypnotic techniques at all? Why not focus on communicating that intention more directly instead of by asking them to open and close their eyes and say convoluted Ericksonian shit to them?"

Octavia smiled and turned her head to Dan. "Give me your watch for a moment."

Dan gulped down the glass of water and hurried over to hand her his shiny, silver pocketwatch. She thanked him and he quietly stood at her side, waiting.

Octavia took the chain in her hand and let the watch dangle down as she lifted her arm up into the air. "Indulge me for a moment, Anton."

The big man's shoulders tensed visibly under his shirt and suspenders. "Me?"

"Yes. If you will. Just look at the watch." She swung it back and forth in front of his face and he apprehensively followed it with his eyes. In silence. Octavia didn't say another word, and after a few moments, pearly drops of sweat rolled down Anton's face. He awkwardly loomed towards the watch, being much taller than Octavia, and desperately tried to follow it with his eyes, but it swung too fast for him, it seemed.

"I'm sorry... " He cringed and hung his head. "I don't think it's working."

She patted him on the arm. "Of course it isn't. You don't know what to do. And I didn't tell you. I didn't use any of the hypnotic techniques or gave you any instructions to follow. I only communicated my intent to hypnotise." With a grin, she pointed with her thumb at Dan, who was swaying on his feet, his eyes focused on the watch, just as blankly as when he was frozen.

Khalid started to slowly clap his hands. "Bravo. Bravo, my lady."

She shook her head at him as she lowered the watch. "You don't get to call me that." And then she took the hat from Anton and tenderly placed it back on Dan's head. "Thank you, love. You did so well."

Dan snapped back to reality and after a moment of confusion, he nodded at her with a smile. She gave him back his watch, which he put into his pocket.

Anton let out a long sigh of relief and wiped his forehead.

"My apologies…" Khalid mumbled.

"It's quite alright. I can see how it can be tempting to use the same words as someone else is using. But these are not just words." Octavia crossed her arms.

Khalid nodded and lowered his eyes. "No, I get it. I didn't mean to overstep."

"The same goes for you, big man." Octavia said to Anton. "I am not your lady. I'm just a friendly hypnoDom showing you a good time."

Anton nodded and stood to attention again. "I understand."

Khalid seemed to think for a moment. "So, if I understand you correctly, Octavia, the hypnotic techniques exist for both the hypnotist and the subject, to help them both complete the process. And once both are sufficiently experienced, they can be dispensed with?"

"Not dispensed with," Octavia explained. "They exist because they work. These are proven methods you can use to induce hypnotic trance and create hypnotic effects, even if you are inexperienced at hypnosis. When Dan and I are together, sometimes I will use something technical, because it is the most appropriate method for that situation. It's just that the showy stuff doesn't actually require much skill."

She walked up to Khalid, who was still looking thoughtful, and laid her hand on his shoulder. "There are no shortcuts. But once you find someone you love to practice with, it becomes less of a chore. With regular practice, it takes only a few months to become good. Just like with rope. Mind you, that goes for both partners."

He nodded. "That makes sense."

"Perhaps Dan would like to practice with you and give you some pointers?" Octavia turned to look at Dan.

He blinked for a moment. "I mean, if Khalid would like that, then yes."

Khalid walked up to Dan. "Do you think you could pay attention to the moments when I trip up and help me correct it?"

Dan nodded. "Yes. No problem."

The two men started to chat about hypnosis things they could try together, and Octavia stepped up to Anton and touched his chest.

"It's time, big man." She smiled at him and beckoned him with a small movement of her head.

Anton swallowed again and touched her hand. "Octavia… What if I can't do this?" He hung his head. "What if I'm not smart enough? What if I'm just too ADHD to go into trance? What if I'm just too nervous?"

Her hand reached up to touch his chin and make him look her in the eye. "Do you trust me? Do you want me to hypnotise you?"

A sigh. "Yes, please, Octavia."

"Then I will make sure that we will succeed. I will find ways to help you go into trance for me. I will give you all the instructions. All you need to do is follow me." With a smile, she took his hand and led him away from the bar. 

Anton looked back at the other two as she led him away, and they both gave him looks of approbation. It seemed to settle his nerves and he followed Octavia out of the room, grinning with anticipation.


	2. Chapter 2

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

Dan stood at the bar, wearing his usual stetson and black button-down with colourful flowers, smiling at the two ladies with him. Octavia wore a burgundy ballgown reminiscent of Jessica Rabbit, and Artemis was dressed in a perky yellow dress with a Hogwarts logo stitched onto it.

"The mechanic that makes all the weapons disposable really irritates me," Octavia muttered while absentmindedly redoing her long braid. "I want to play the entire game with my favourite weapon."

Artemis shrugged, her long hair hanging loose over her shoulders and down her back. "It encourages creative thinking. Sometimes you see an explosive barrel, and you think: how can I blow it up to damage all those enemies and save my weapons?"

"Are you sure that's an appropriate topic to be talking about here?" A bearded man in clad in black with a leather vest came sidling up to them. 

Octavia smiled at him but it was a cold smile. "Hey, Richard. I don't see why videogames would be taboo. They can be a great inspiration for a scene."

Dan seemed to react to the cold smile, stepping forward to stand by her side, facing Richard.

"Can I ask a question? About hypnosis?" Richard made himself comfortable at the bar.

"Always." Octavia said as she petted Dan on the shoulder.

"Now I've been a Dom for over twenty years, but I don't know if I believe in this hypnosis thing. You hear things, you know?" He gave Octavia an inquisitive look. "So can a hypnotist make someone do things they don't want?"

Artemis sighed and buried her face in her hand, while Dan bit his lip, looking uncomfortable.

Octavia folded her hands together. "I know hypnosis has a certain reputation in the tabloids. I didn't think you'd go in for stories like that. Are you asking whether hypnosis impairs the ability to consent? How can you simultaneously doubt whether hypnosis really works, and worry that it impairs the ability to consent? Maybe we need to answer one question at the time."

"Ok…" Richard crossed his arms. "Show me that it works."

With a sly smile, Octavia asked: "Would you like to be hypnotised?"

"No. I want to see it from the outside." Richard guffawed. "Besides, I am too strong-willed to be hypnotised."

Dan and Artemis gave each other a meaningful look. 

Octavia inhaled deeply and began to lecture Richard. "Did you know that going into trance is a skill, not a weakness? The reason why it looks so easy when I play with Dan publicly is because he's so skilled and intelligent. Not to mention imaginative. But I'm sure you didn't mean to insult Dan or Artemis, who both get hypnotised very often, and are both very good at it."

Richard coughed uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to insult anyone…"

"You just implied that Dan and Artemis are not strong-willed. And perhaps other things." She drew up close to Richard. "What are you expecting from us?"

"Just a demonstration." Richard laughed to ease the tension. "You promised to give demonstrations."

"I might. If you ask the right questions." Octavia turned back to Dan. "I think we could all use a glass of water." 

"Yes, My Lady." Dan nodded and went behind the bar to serve everyone some water.

Richard seemed to think for a moment and then asked. "So, could you hypnotise me?"

Artemis glanced at Richard and said: "It's technically possible, but you just said no. So there's no consent."

"Just like bondage, hypnosis requires the bottom's cooperation, at the very least." Octavia added. 

Richard stuffed his hands in the pockets of his vest. "There are a number of things a skilled Dom could do to overpower an actively struggling sub."

Octavia gave him a piercing look. "But you wouldn't do that without extensive negotiation about the meaning and the practice of consensual nonconsent, correct?"

Dan stared at Richard as he offered him the glass of water.

"Indeed, correct." Richard quickly took a large gulp from the glass. "So basically you're saying you can hypnotise someone against their will?"

Artemis quietly sipped her water. "Hypnosis is just as fraught with consent issues as other kinks are. Someone who is in subspace is just as impaired as someone who is fractionated."

"Fractionated?" Richard frowned.

"Someone who has been repeatedly hypnotised in a short timespan," Octavia explained.

Dan returned to his place by her side and offered her a glass as well. Octavia absentmindedly stroked him as she drank her water.

Richard's frown intensified. "So if you only hypnotise people into doing things they enjoy doing anyway, how do you know for sure that the hypnosis works? That they're not faking it?"

Artemis put her glass down on the bar. "When you're having sex with someone, and they orgasm, how can you be sure they..."

Octavia pressed a finger to Artemis' lips and her voice died in her throat. For a moment, Artemis tried to continue to speak, silently mouthing words, but then she just crossed her arms. 

Octavia turned to Richard. "Besides the fact that I trust that their submission is genuine, Richard, I know the hypnosis works. I have seen it work time and time again."

Richard waved his hand. "That's a tiny parlour trick. How can we check that she really can't talk?"

Octavia handed her glass off to Dan and drew up close to Artemis. "Are you ok with a bigger demonstration?" 

The girl nodded in reply, and drew her hair back, baring her shoulder and neck to Octavia.

"Thank you, lovely." Octavia embraced Artemis and as she ran her fingernails over the back of her neck, she started to passionately kiss her neck.

Artemis' mouth was open, moving, but no sound came out, not even a gasp. Artemis quivered in her arms, and her facial expression left no doubt about how much she was enjoying the kisses, but the scene was entirely silent.

Dan blushed and smiled as he put the glass down on the bar, but also kept an eye on Richard.

Richard leaned back, with a look of disbelief.

Without pausing the kiss, Octavia raised one finger in the air so the men could see, and then pressed it against Artemis' lips. Immediately, breathy moans erupted from her as Octavia continued to kiss her neck.

Dan covered his mouth with his hand and blushed even deeper red. Meanwhile, Richard smiled, enjoying the show.

And then Octavia raised her finger, and used it to silence Artemis again. The quivering intensified, as even her breathing became entirely inaudible. Octavia's hand crawled up Artemis' neck and into her hair. She made a fist and pulled her head back, and finally ended the kiss. Artemis was reeling when Octavia let go of her to turn and look at Richard.

Dan scurried up to help Artemis steady herself.

Richard nodded slowly, pursing his lips. "Impressive. But I bet she really likes that."

Octavia closed her eyes and licked her lips. Without turning to face Dan and Artemis, she said in a loud and clear voice: "Dan, where is Mr. Giggles?"

For a second, Dan's eyes grew wide with shock. Then he clutched his sides and collapsed on the ground in a shaking laughing fit. The uncontrollable laughter continued for a good thirty seconds, and then stopped as suddenly as it had started. With an incomprehensible grumble, Dan rose to his feet and composed himself.

Artemis leaned against the bar, watching silently.

Octavia beckoned with her hand, and Dan stepped up, looking expectantly at her.

"Did you enjoy that, Dan?" She asked.

"No, my Lady." He replied. "I really don't like being tickled."

Richard leaned closer, examining Dan. "Then why do you let her do that to you?"

Dan shrugged, his eyes cast down with a bashful smile. "It makes me feel helpless and controlled."

Richard chuckled, thinking for a moment. "Nah, I'm still not convinced."

Artemis silently mouthed a swearword and then threw her hands up in the air and turned away.

"I'll tell you what," Richard said to Octavia. "I'll believe it when you do the same thing to me that you just did to Artemis."

Octavia put an arm around Dan and led him away, back towards Artemis. "No." She said over her shoulder.

Richard did a double take. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said no, Richard." Octavia gave him a cold look. "You have given me no reason to want to top you. Perhaps if you had treated me and my loved ones with a modicum of respect, but not like this. I don't care if you believe their submission to me and the scenes we have together are somehow 'not real'. I'm not going to spend my precious attention on you."

Richard slunk away into the dungeon without another word.

Octavia put her finger on Artemis' lips, and immediately, she said: "You showed him."


	3. Chapter 3

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

In the corner by the bar, Octavia had Dan pinned against the wall, her knee against the crotch of his black dress slacks, staring him down. Softly, she whispered to him, too low for anyone else to hear. Dan squirmed, but in a happy, excited way.

When a slender person in a tanktop and rainbow-coloured leggings walked up to the bar to get a drink, Octavia booped Dan on the nose and let him go. She turned around, the skirt of her silver ballgown billowing around her, to greet the person. "Darjeeling, so nice to see you again. Would you like a hug?"

They smiled, shaking their head. "No thanks, not right now."

Octavia beckoned Dan to come closer. "May I introduce you? Dan, this is Darjeeling, I met them at the spiritual workshop. Darjeeling, this is Dan, my good boy."

Dan blushed and cast his eyes down at the mention of the words "good boy" making his face almost invisible under the stetson hat. When he finally made eye-contact, he said: "Nice to meet you, Darjeeling."

They climbed up on one of the barstools and looked at Octavia. "He's your boy? Tell me everything. Have you been together long? How did you meet?"

"Well, this guy was very vocal about the composer Nobuo Uematsu when I first saw him. We got to talking about the music of Final Fantasy and we ended up talking for hours." Octavia beamed as she patted Dan on the shoulder. "It was at a local videogame store that organised weekly nights to play together. After a few weeks, we noticed that we didn't come to play Diablo or Smash Brothers, we just came to see each other."

"Which turned out much better for the game nights too. No one could keep up with her in Diablo II." Dan said with a hint of pride.

Darjeeling ran a hand through their buzzcut. "Wait… You mean you two met outside of the BDSM scene?"

Octavia nodded. "I fell in love with a man. And then when we grew closer, he found the courage to tell me about his 'weird fetish'." She used big air quotes. "Which turned out to be the same as mine."

"What are the chances?" Darjeeling chuckled.

"There were hints…" Dan stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked at Octavia. "The way we both really noticed all the mind control in all the games."

"Noticed." Octavia laughed for a second before continueing. "But seriously, I felt so honoured when Dan let me hypnotise him for the first time. He's the real reason I'm such an 'accomplished' hypnoDom." More air quotes. "I could practice to my heart's content, without worrying about 'doing it wrong'."

Dan blushed again. "You were pretty awesome before you ever practiced on me."

"In theory." She wagged a finger at him. "I was lacking in practical experience."

Dan gave her a stubborn look, and she smiled at him and licked her lips. He let out a dreamy sigh and backed down, folding his hands behind his back.

Octavia turned back to Darjeeling. "I was just exploring the kink scene at the time. Just a young switch trying everything. When my relationship with Dan became real, that's when I first dared to use the label Dominant for myself."

"Oh wow." Darjeeling seemed to think. "So how would you recommend others to find a partner?"

Octavia sighed. "Get to know them as a person. That is what the dating phase is for. It's not for movies or restaurants. It's to talk to each other, about your passions, your feelings and your dreams. To figure out whether you could be compatible. That why there's that rule about not having sex so soon in a relationship, not because of any slut shamey reasons, but because you just don't know and trust each other yet."

Darjeeling looked at them both in turn. "But you're 24/7 D/s now, right? Was that a lengthy, complicated negotiation?"

Octavia inhaled deeply. "At the risk of sounding like a polyamory guru… A good relationship is constant renegotiation. We started with some hypnosis, and then Dan wanted triggers that wouldn't expire. Then I wanted service from him. Then he wanted to call me 'My Lady'. Then I wanted to decide what he should wear. It slowly grew to what it is today. And it will change again in the future."

"You wanted to call her 'My Lady'?" Darjeeling asked.

Dan nodded enthusiastically. "She earned it."

"Oh you…" Octavia took his hand and started to stroke the length of his index finger. Dan started to shudder and screwed his eyes and mouth shut, but it was still obvious that this simple touch gave him a great deal of pleasure.

Darjeeling leaned in closer. "What are you doing, Octavia?"

With a grin, she replied: "Shutting him up. He gives me way too much credit."

"Nuh uh!" Dan panted and squirmed.

Octavia grabbed his wrist and yanked him closer. "You want to be turned off?"

There was a moment of silence as they stared each other in the eyes. With a small voice, Dan said: "That's up to you, My Lady."

Darjeeling raised their hand in the air. "Can I ask a question?"

Octavia put her arm around Dan and pulled him close. With one hand, she touched him on the back of his neck. Immediately, he slumped against her shoulder, seemingly unconscious. With a satisfied smile, Octavia looked at Darjeeling. "You had a question?"

"Several. This is a lot to unpack…" They ran their hands through their hair again, thinking. "So I assume the stroking of his finger and the touch on the back of his neck are hypnotic triggers?"

"And licking my lips too." Octavia smiled. "Because we both know what those triggers do, they become part of our language, like a shorthand."

"So…" Darjeeling frowned. "Are you punishing him for giving you compliments? For speaking up?"

Octavia giggled. "I'm giving him sexual pleasure. Which is a little embarrassing, but very enjoyable, and it reaffirms that I am in control."

Darjeeling vaguely gestured at Dan's head, resting on Octavia's shoulder with his eyes closed. "Is this sexual pleasure too?"

"In a way." Octavia carefully shifted on her feet, holding Dan's limp body up. "It's a lot like bondage. He's helpless now, and I decide how long to keep him like this. That's pleasurable, though perhaps not sexual."

Darjeeling nodded and smiled. "So, tell me how you make these triggers that don't expire."

Octavia shifted again, with an uncomfortable grimace this time. "Give me a second." She grabbed Dan by the throat and breathed in his ear. "Come back to me, love. Stand up."

Dan straightened up and stroked her shoulder where his head had been with an embarrassed look. "Thank you, My Lady."

"You know how to create a basic trigger?" Octavia asked Darjeeling.

They nodded emphatically. "And normally, you add limitations, like: tonight, or only when you feel safe and happy to do so, or only when I say, or I do it."

"Yes.Those are good safety measures when your subject is a beginner at hypnosis." Octavia pulled Dan close and hugged him. "But when your partner is as experienced as this guy, you can let them decide those parameters. And then, you just make sure to use the trigger regularly, so that they don't forget it."

Darjeeling stared at Dan. "You're in control of when the triggers work?"

Dan nodded. "It's mostly context. When we're out in public, at work or when we're shopping or with family, the triggers won't work. But here in the dungeon, I will probably comply with every trigger. I might even have trouble resisting if I'm fractionated after a long night of playing."

"Which is why I keep you close, my boy." Octavia kissed him.

"What if someone else says the trigger?" Darjeeling asked.

Dan shook his head. "Even if a stranger or someone here in the dungeon manages to say the right words, my brain knows not to take any orders from them. The effect is nil."

Darjeeling leaned back against the bar. "So Dan, would you mind showing me some of those triggers you wanted so much? Or is that too intimate?"

Dan blushed again. "It makes me feel like I'm a trained dog doing tricks. It's kinda hot."

They both turned to Octavia and gave her an expectant look.

"And I get to play with my toy." Octavia beamed. "What shall we show off?"

Dan gave her big puppy dog eyes, but he said: "That's up to you, My Lady."

Octavia smiled at Darjeeling. "This is a golden oldie." Then she turned to Dan and told him: "You are nothing but a drone."

The change in Dan was immediate. His eyes became glassy and his face went slack and expressionless. His body slumped and swayed ever so slightly, like a puppet on strings.

"A recurring theme among hypnofetishists is 'blank and obedient' and I'm always impressed at how well Dan can do that." Octavia said. "When he's like this, his mind is so blank, he has trouble remembering what happens to him in this state. Take a step closer to Darjeeling, drone."

Dan stepped closer. His eyes were unseeing and his movements were slow.

"Hold out your arm, drone." When Dan lifted his arm, Octavia took his hand and turned it palm up in her hands. 

"Now keep in mind that Dan is not a big masochist." And Octavia bit down on the soft inside of Dan's wrist. After a few seconds, she stopped and showed the bitemark to Darjeeling.

Dan just stood there, motionless and silent, as if nothing had happened at all.

Darjeeling gasped. "That's amazing!"

Octavia held up one finger in the air, and said to Dan: "Come back to me, love. Wake up."

Dan blinked for a second, and then clutched his wrist. He swore under his breath and bent over to catch his breath.

Octavia slowly shook her head. "That just never gets old."

"Well done, Dan." Darjeeling said as they got up from the bar stool. "That was wonderful, thank you for the demonstration."

"Anytime…" Dan muttered. 

Octavia hugged and kissed him. "Good boy." 


	4. Chapter 4

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

"You're going to sit down and have a glass of water." Artemis poured some water and gave the glass to Octavia. But she handed it off to Anton, who gratefully gulped it down.

She looked Artemis in the eye standing tall and still in her turquoise gown. "You're ordering me around now?"

Artemis placed her hands on her hips in a defiant pose, her yellow dress accentuating her hourglass body. "I'm being helpful. It's service."

Anton cringed, holding the empty glass, wondering if he should say anything.

A tall woman dressed in a beautiful black corset came towards them. Her hair was dyed in a wide range of blue and purple hues. "Octavia!"

Octavia launched herself to hug the woman. "Cassiopeia! How wonderful to see you again!"

Artemis arched an eyebrow. "Would Cassiopeia like a glass of water?"

"Yes please." She smiled. "Octavia, I heard you were answering questions and giving demonstrations."

"Is there something you'd like to see? Any question from you would be a pleasure to answer." Octavia looked at Anton. "And I have some interesting demonstration material..."

Anton stared at her, wide-eyed. "Me? But I'm just…"

"You are a wonderful man, and just as interesting as the rest of us." Artemis said as she served glasses of water to Octavia and Cassiopeia.

"I was wondering…" Cassiopeia looked thoughtful. "About your motivations when you play. Why do you do this? What is it that gives you joy as a hypnoDom?"

Octavia rubbed her hands together. "You mean: what gets my juices flowing?"

Cassiopeia nodded and sipped her water, waiting.

Artemis quietly stood beside Octavia and drew her hair back, baring her neck. It was a casual gesture, perhaps she wasn't even aware that she was doing it. But it was the shoulder closest to Octavia, and she noticed.

"See, this is a great first example right here." Octavia grasped Artemis by the back of the neck. "I want to feel wanted, Cassiopeia. I want my partners to beg for the things I can do for them. And with hypnosis, I can plant an idea in their minds, without them consciously thinking about it. Artemis has an urge to show me her neck, hoping I might grace her with vampire kisses."

Artemis lowered her eyes and blushed. "Yes I do."

Cassiopeia looked at her. "Are you aware of that?"

"Sometimes. But not every time, that's for sure." Artemis quivered softly as Octavia still held her by the neck.

Octavia pulled her close and lovingly started to kiss her neck. Artemis melted in her arms, happy gasps tumbling from her mouth. Cassiopeia smiled at Anton, as she patiently waited for the kissing to end. After a while, Octavia stopped and helped Artemis stand up, leaning on the bar.

"Tell me about that." Cassiopeia said to Octavia. 

Octavia guffawed. "Are you asking why I like kissing my lovely partners?"

"I'm asking: why vampire kisses?"

"Besides the fact that I absolutely love kissing and putting various bodyparts in my mouth…" Octavia took a moment to think. "Vampires speak to the imagination. When my partners allow me to pretend that I'm a vampire, they allow me to pretend that I am more charming and seductive, and more powerful than a human being. We get to pretend that their surrender is something that feeds me and makes me stronger, and that I hunger for it. They get to pretend that they cannot resist me because of my mind control powers. It's a wonderful fantasy."

Cassiopeia put her glass down on the bar and looked at Artemis. "Would you make me some tea?"

"Gladly!" Artemis went behind the bar and turned on the kettle.

"What else do you like to do?" Cassiopeia asked.

Octavia took Anton's hand and pulled him closer. "Would you like to help me with a demonstration, big man?"

Anton nodded and smiled, showing his big, white teeth.

"I have never been very strong or big. I have never been able to physically overpower anyone." Octavia said to Cassiopeia, before she turned to Anton. "Will you lift me up for a moment?"

Anton's smile grew wider, and he carefully picked Octavia up by the waist and lifted her three feet off the floor. His arms were more than twice as big as hers, and she leaned her hands on his big, square chest. When he put her down again she looked up at him.

"Was that easy?"

The giant shrugged. "No problem."

"There is no doubt that Anton is very strong," Octavia said to Cassiopeia. "Much stronger than I am."

Cassiopeia nodded and waited, a gleeful grin on her face.

Octavia held Anton's chin in her hand, directing him to look at her. Her voice dropped to a much lower, smooth and deliberate tone. "Look into my eyes, big man. Look into my eyes just like you did a moment ago when we were alone in a room, and I was hypnotising you. Yes, you can remember that, can't you? You can remember just how that felt. And the funny thing about recalling a memory is that we get to feel it as if it's happening all over again. As if you're falling into my eyes all over again. Go ahead and drop all the way down again. Deeper and deeper."

Anton looked excited when she started, but as her words washed over him, his shoulders slumped and his eyelids drooped. When she let go of his chin, it dropped to his chest, and his eyes fell shut. She held him with both hands on his shoulders, because he was swaying on his feet.

"This is one way I can overpower this big, strong man…" Octavia whispered to Cassiopeia.

Another gleeful smile. And a grateful nod to Artemis, who set down a cup of tea.

Octavia brought her face very close to Anton's ear and spoke to him in that same low, smooth tone. It was almost inaudible, and Cassiopeia turned to Artemis and asked: "Is this rehearsed in any way?"

Artemis shook her head. "Anton has never done this before. But it's a classic stage hypnotist trick that Octavia is fond of."

Cassiopeia smiled and picked up her tea.

Octavia patted Anton on the shoulder. "And up! Up! Up! Wake up!"

Anton inhaled deeply and looked around as if he was disoriented. "Wow… Thank you, that was… Wow…"

Octavia had a wicked grin when she said: "Now, please lift me up. You can do that again, can't you?"

"Sure thing!" Anton went to pick her up by the waist again, but this time, he couldn't seem to lift her off the floor. He bent his knees and changed his grip. He grunted and started to sweat, but he couldn't lift Octavia even an inch. After a few tries, he huffed with a frustrated frown.

"And this is another way I can overpower this man who is demonstrably much stronger than I." Octavia took his wrists in her hands, and he froze, looking at her in confusion. "Push back. Don't let me pin you." 

Anton's arms trembled but, as Octavia started to push him, he helplessly moved back until she had him pinned against the bar.

"Stop me, big man." Octavia taunted him.

"I'm trying!" Anton's eyes were wide and there was a sheen of sweat on his bald head.

Octavia embraced him. "It's alright, love. You've tried so hard. You've done so well. Now sink back down for me!" She gave push against the back of his head, and his eyes immediately closed. "Just let everything I just told you fade away. You did so well, and now it's all over. You are yourself again, you are awake again. And up! Up! Wake up!"

Anton rubbed his face. "You got me all fuzzy now." 

"That's alright, take a moment." She patted him on the arm.

Artemis offered him another glass of water.

Octavia turned to Cassiopeia. "It makes me feel like I outsmarted him. Like I am powerful. I feel honoured that he gives me this power."

The lady frowned. "How does he give you this power?" 

"A part of his mind is making this happen. He's trusting my words over reality. That's not just my skill, that is his trust in me. And I feel grateful for that."

Cassiopeia gave Octavia a long look. "So, this is mostly about your power fantasies?"

Octavia thought about it for a moment. "That's the part that I've shown you so far, yes. But there is also a sexual component."

"Do you want to explain that to me?" Cassiopeia asked. "No is a valid answer." 

"I'm a fetishist, and I say that because naked human bodies don't turn me on. Only hypnosis turns me on." Octavia absentmindedly stared at Artemis as she walked up and stood beside her, pulling her hair to one side, exposing her shoulder and neck. "Teaching my partners to do things that turn me on, is an important part of kink for me. Because the things that turn me on are weirdly specific."

"Could you give examples?" Cassiopeia sipped her tea.

"The little signs that a person is hypnotised turn me on." Octavia started to count on her fingers. "The look in someone's eyes, the sound of their voice, the limpness or the strange way they move and fall. The evidence that a hypnotic suggestion is making them do something, or unable to do something."

Artemis softly touched Octavia's hand and kissed the fingers.

"Artemis, would you like to tell about that time I hypnotised with a math formula?" Octavia stepped away to give her a bit more space, and to watch her.

Artemis chuckled and blushed. "Ok so, she had written a formula on the whiteboard, and she asked me to take a look at it. I asked after the purpose and she said I should try to picture the graph that formula would make in my mind. And when I managed to picture that…" She paused to gasp softly. There was a subtle change in her eyes as she continued to speak very slowly. "It was a spiral shape... " Her voice trailed off and her eyes stared into nothingness. She stood there, entranced by the images in the story she was telling.

Cassiopeia looked to Octavia; her face looked flushed as she grinned.

"That will never stop being hot." Octavia whispered.

Anton quietly wiped some sweat off his head. "I'll say."

"It's amazing. Is this…?" Cassiopeia reached out to Artemis but resisted the urge to touch her.

"This is rehearsed." Octavia said. "I have taught her that every time I ask her to tell the story about the math formula, this is what I expect to happen. On some level, she can hear us, and she is doing so well." Octavia put her arm around Artemis. "Come back to me, love."

Artemis blinked and swallowed, and then giggled, hiding her face.

Cassiopeia put her empty teacup down. "So these are all little rituals and protocols that you do with your partners?"

Octavia smiled. "Yes! Exactly. It reaffirms to me that they trust me, that they obey me, and it makes them feel controlled and submissive."

"That's beautiful…" Cassiopeia mused.


	5. Chapter 5

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

Octavia sat at the bar, the long skirt of her black satin gown draped over the stool, as Dan knelt beside the bar stool, rubbing balm on her feet. Her shoes and the tub of balm lay next to him on the floor, forgotten. He was singularly focused on her feet.

Octavia was looking around the dungeon, and she saw Lilith approach. The slender lesbian had a side-cut, but still managed to hide most of her face behind her brightly coloured hair. She nervously touched her spiked collar as she tried to find the right words to say.

"Go ahead, Lilith." Octavia smiled.

"Where do you get your inspiration?" With a shy smile, she settled at the bar and poured herself a drink.

"Hmmm, let me think about that for a moment…" Octavia moved on the bar stool and Dan seemed to wake up from his service reverie. He carefully put her shoes back on her feet and put the balm away.

"Inspiration is a word that invokes the notion of art." Octavia mused. "I don't see myself as very artistic. I'm a hedonist, if anything. I love my partners and I want to enjoy every moment I get to spend playing with them. I want them to forget about real life while they are with me, so I ask them about their fantasies. Did you know that telling your partner about your sexual fantasies can be great foreplay?"

"I have arrived!" A tall person wearing cosmetic fangs and long sparkly green fingernails came swaggering up to the bar. Dan was the first to greet them with a hug, but that was only because Octavia had to get down from the bar stool first.

"Talon!" Octavia started to kiss their cheek and neck.

"Look, y'all… I love ya, but… Oxygen, becoming an issue…" Talon muscled themselves free from the hug sandwich. 

Dan stepped away and bowed his head. "We're just happy to see you, Talon."

"I thought you liked mouth hugs?" Octavia said between kisses.

Talon grumbled for a moment, undergoing it, and then their face brightened up with an idea. "Hey Octavia, look. There's something on the floor."

Octavia stopped kissing and looked around at the floor, puzzled. "What?"

Talon grinned. "It's you!"

Octavia's eyes rolled up and then closed as she crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Talon swaggered to the bar with a victorious smirk.

Dan stood there, frozen for a moment. His face flushed and his mouth fell open when Octavia fell down. He uncomfortably adjusted his pants before he crouched beside his Dom to tenderly touch her face.

Octavia's eyes fluttered open and she blushed and gasped. As Dan helped her up, she looked towards Talon. "Thank you. That was lovely."

Talon pointed at her. "You. Are lovely."

As they all returned to the bar and Dan started to pour drinks, Lilith softly asked Talon: "You hypnotise Octavia?"

"Oh yes, sometimes." Talon licked their lips and their fangs, and Dan shuddered in the background. "Switches gonna switch."

Lilith turned to Dan. "How do you feel about your Dominant being a switch?"

Dan smiled. "Dominants." He pointed with his thumb at Talon. "They're superhot! Whether they are hypnotising someone, or being hypnotised. And the same goes for Octavia. We're all just kinky people having fun together. To be honest, I feel blessed."

"No no wait!" Octavia turned to Lilith. "This is where most of my inspiration comes from. I love to be hypnotised. I watch tv and I read things and I notice when things turn me on. I know that both of these two magnificent creatures…" She laid one hand on Dan's shoulder, and the other on Talon's arm. "...are just as turned on by hypnosis and mind control as I am. So I do to them what I dream about in my submissive fantasies. Because I am a switch, I can more easily empathise with how my partner feels than a pure Dom or a pure sub."

"Frankly," Talon said as they slowly brought their drink to their mouth. "I don't get how anyone can be dominant all the time. Don't they have moods?"

Dan shrugged. "I have moods, but I'm always submissive."

"You're always cute!" Talon booped his nose, and Dan giggled.

Octavia seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "The best ideas for scenes and hot hypnotic triggers are based on video games and tv shows. Like the Sailor Moon triggers I made with Artemis…"

Talon waggled their eyebrows at Octavia. "Interview with the vampire!"

Octavia beamed at them. "The theatre scene!"

"Oooh…" Talon sipped their drink.

Octavia turned to Lilith. "Are you ok with watching some fear play and CNC?"

Lilith nodded with excitement.

Dan gave Octavia a bratty grin. "CNC? I much prefer to be your willing victim."

"Humour me." Octavia walked up to him and took his drink and his hat, to put them on the bar.

Dan took a deep breath as he stared at her with his big, brown eyes. "Yes, My Lady."

She took hold of his shoulders and stared him down. "Then fear me."

A shiver ran through Dan and his eyes opened wider. The sudden look of dread on his face was uncanny, and his body tensed up, all the way from his jaw to his legs. It was as if he didn't dare to look away from her anymore, nor did he dare to move. 

"Poor Dan," Octavia said in a loud and clear voice, as if she were addressing an audience. "He's afraid because he realises how dangerous it really is to associate with vampires. It's as if he's only just realised that he's been flirting with death all this time." She pulled the shivering man close and held him by the throat. "Perhaps you should reconsider the company you keep."

Dan's mouth opened and he sputtered without managing to form a complete sentence, or even a word. His fearful eyes were focused on her mouth, it seemed. Which meant that he didn't see Talon approach behind him.

Octavia did, though. When Talon made a tiny gesture, She stepped back and let go of Dan, bowing her head.

Confused, Dan finally tore his eyes away from her and turned. 

Talon stroked his cheek and his beard. "Don't be afraid, boy." The long, glittering green claws tenderly touched his face. "I can save you from all your fears. If you surrender to me."

Dan twitched and glanced behind him at Octavia, but she stood there, waiting quietly.

Talon held out their hand. "I can make all your fears and thoughts go away. All you have to do is surrender to me."

Dan seemed conflicted for a moment. Then he shuffled towards Talon and laid his hand in theirs. As he looked up at them, they nodded slowly, and commanded him: 

"Surrender." 

His eyes closed and he slumped over against them. They held him close and kissed the top of his head. "Good boy."

Octavia came closer and there was a moment of eye contact between them. They both held him by a shoulder, and both leaned in to kiss the side of his neck. Dan moaned and his knees buckled, as if the kisses were much more than just lips on his skin.

When the moment was over, Talon took Dan in their arms and helped him make his way to the bar. 

"Thank you, thank you, fuck that was hot…" Dan murmured softly.

The trio shared some cuddles, whispering sweet nothings to each other.

After a while, Octavia smiled at Lilith. "But my biggest inspiration in this game we play, are my partners."


	6. Chapter 6

Soft sunlight fell in the through the white curtains. Octavia reclined on the couch in her home, wearing a long, soft nightgown, reading her inboxes on various social media on her tablet. Artemis leaned against her, sitting cross-legged on the couch, playing a video game. Dan padded through the living room, wearing only black pants and a collar, collecting glasses and dishes to put in the dishwasher. All was quiet and peaceful, except for the sounds of combat and explosions from the video game.

Octavia let out a loud sigh as she put the tablet down. She rubbed her face, looking tired.

Dan trotted over to her. "Is there anything I can do, My Lady?"

"I don't know…" Octavia said with her hands still on her face. "Can you make your fellow submissive men stop messaging Dominant women on the internet?"

"Another one?" Artemis grumbled as the sounds of combat intensified.

Dan clenched his jaw, looking uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, love. That's unfair of me." Octavia reached out to pet his head. "It's not your fault that other men are asshats to me on the internet… Make me some coffee?"

Dan went over to the coffee machine and took out one of his Lady's favourite cups. "What was in the message, if you don't mind my asking?"

With another sigh, Octavia picked up the tablet, tapped the screen a few times and read out loud: "Are you a real hypnotist? Please tell me yes, I beg you."

The video game went silent as Artemis turned to read along with Octavia. "Seriously? Begging before he even knows you? Presumptuous dick! Oh, and his username is 'Slave' with a number! For fuck's sake!"

"Is that such an awful thing to ask?" Dan frowned at them from the kitchen.

Octavia thought about it for a second. "His message is not impolite or offensive in and of itself. He probably doesn't realise why this makes me so exasperated…"

"Because the follow up question is if you can hypnotise him!" Artemis turned back to her video game and the explosions continued. "These fuckwads always want a free ride on the hypnocoaster. They don't realise you're a person with relationships and a job and a life. They just think that it doesn't hurt to ask."

As Dan brought the cup of coffee to his Lady, she gave him a weary look. "Somehow, these men understand that you can't ask a bank for free money, but they don't see why they can't ask a Domme to top them." She took the cup of coffee and sipped from it. "And when I tell them 'No, I'm not going to hypnotise you' they never take it well."

Artemis furiously worked the buttons of her video game, explosions punctuating her words: "They expect us to explain why we don't want to spend our precious time and energy on them. Or they'll just start insulting us, calling us fake, or whores. Sometimes, they'll go overboard with self-hatred. 'I should have known that you were out of my league! I'm so stupid!' Hoping for a pity fuck."

Dan gave Artemis an incredulous look. "You get messages like this too?"

She squinted at the screen as her thumbs still worked the buttons. "Every woman on every online platform gets these messages."

Octavia motioned Dan to look at the tablet again. "This is Fetlife. And this is Reddit. Tumblr. Insta. Twitter. I can't see the ones on Facebook because they are from people who are not friends, thank heavens."

"I heard a friend say that she got a dirty message on Venmo." Artemis grumbled. 

"Why am I not surprised?" Octavia rolled her eyes. 

Dan hung his head. "I'm ashamed to have anything in common with these men…"

Octavia turned back to the tablet. "I'm just going to write a quick answer."

Another explosion. "Just block the fucker!"

"I always keep thinking…" Octavia mumbled as she typed. "That if I explain to him what we've just explained to Dan, maybe he'll stop sending messages like this. And that might save other women this bother…"

"Does that ever work?" Dan asked.

"I don't know…" Octavia said.

Artemis put the video game away, grumbling: "Why can't those guys just go to a munch to meet people, like normal people?"

Octavia smiled wistfully. "Like we did."

Dan put down his pillow on the floor and sat next to Octavia's feet. "I don't think I know that story."

"You don't?" Octavia put the tablet away and started to stroke and pet Dan. "Well, back in the day, I hung out at local munches a lot. I loved talking to other Dommes to hear them brag about what they liked to do. So when Artemis and I had exchanged a few messages online, I invited her over to the munch to meet. And we talked for hours."

Dan, smiling contently because of the pettings, looked at Artemis. "What were those online messages about?"

Artemis furrowed her brow, thinking back. "I had left a few comments and we started chatting, about hypnosis and the educational articles Octavia wrote online." She giggled. "I went back to those old messages once, there was nothing in there hinting that we might get together. It was all hypnosis theory and techniques and books on the subject."

"We really bonded over how bad that book Pillow Talk was." Octavia chuckled. Then she winked at Dan and said: "Do you remember the first time I hypnotised you, Artemis?"

"It was at the munch…" She stared off in the distance as she reminisced. Her voice became softer and dreamier with every word. "We had been talking about the fact that no one would notice if you'd hypnotise me at the munch. Talking is a normal thing to do. And so is staring off into space…" 

"That's right, that's exactly what we talked about." Octavia cooed in her smooth hypnotist voice. "And you remember what it felt like, don't you? Just sitting in that corner with me, staring off into space with my voice guiding you as the noise of the pub faded into the background."

"Yes…" Her mouth sagged open and her eyes softened.

"If that is what you want, Artemis, you can drop deep into trance… Now." Octavia snapped her fingers.

Artemis went slack, her head flopped backwards against the back of the couch and her arms fell limp into her lap.

Octavia let out a deep, contented sigh. "That never gets old."

"Why does that keep on working every single time?" Dan asked in a soft whisper. "Doesn't she see it coming?"

"She probably does." Octavia smiled and softly stroked Artemis' hair. "But knowing a technique and seeing it coming doesn't mean you want to stop it from happening. We're in a safe place and this is a wonderful moment for a bit of trance, isn't it?" She gave Dan a meaningful look.

He froze in place, his big brown eyes staring up at her. "Yes… My Lady…" 

"I think it's time for your mantra, Dan." Octavia scooted towards Artemis on the couch and took the entranced girl into her arms. As she started to kiss her neck, Artemis stirred and moaned softly.

Kneeling on his pillow, Dan's eyes were open but he saw nothing. His in a soft, vacant voice he recited: "I am strong. I am handsome. My Lady loves me. My Dragon loves me. I am calm and still."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia performs in a little show together with Sven

The soft lighting up against the vaulted ceiling made the dungeon look cosy. Quiet music could be heard whenever the whips and floggers paused or were put down. Someone in the room moaned and gasped. 

A much harsher spotlight was aimed at the stage, and a small crowd of kinksters dressed in black, latex and leather gathered to watch. A tall man with long blonde hair wearing a top hat and a black suit went on the stage and spread his arms. "Good evening people, welcome to the Sven and Gali show. I am Sven and please give her a round of applause: Gali!"

Octavia stepped onto the stage, wearing a little blue dress and her long hair in a braid as usual. She smiled and closed her eyes in a modest expression. The little crowd was full of friendly faces, Dan, Artemis, Emrys and others, but the spotlight made her feel shy.

"I will start with the Trick with the Balls!" Sven announced with a flourish. "Gali, did you bring the balls?"

She smiled mischievously. "Yes, I'm holding your balls in my hand." 

As the crowd chuckled, she ceremoniously offered him a set of five red balls, one by one, and he started to juggle them. When he was successfully keeping all five of them up the air, there was a polite applause.

"You must be so focused right now, Sven." Octavia started to speak in her melodious hypnotist voice. "The balls and the movements of your arms take up all your attention right now. Let your world grow smaller and smaller, more and more focused on the balls. Nothing else matters. Focus on your balls."

"Focus on my balls." Sven muttered and another chuckle rose from the crowd, but it died down when he started to repeat that phrase, over and over, as he continued to juggle, staring up at the balls in the air. His voice took on an eerie monotonous quality, like a robot stuck in a loop.

Octavia moved behind Sven, groping his butt first and then reaching around to touch his crotch. There was no reaction from Sven, he repeated the mantra without pause. Octavia grinned as she fondled the belt of his trousers and pulled it loose. The trousers dropped down to his ankles and Sven's erection was visible through a black thong. Even when the crowd cheered and clapped, Sven continued to stare up and repeat his mantra.

Octavia took a step back to let everyone admire the spectacle and then raised her hand in the air, ready to snap her fingers. "Thank you, Sven. That was amazing. You can now drop!" 

When she snapped, Sven's eyes closed, his head slumped forward, his arms dropped to his sides and all of the balls fell to the floor. She waited for the audience to finish cheering and then she touched him on the shoulder. "Sven. Sven, wake up!"

He jolted awake and seemed momentarily confused. Then he smiled at the audience and exclaimed: "The Trick with the Pants, everyone!" He kicked the pants to the side of the stage, walking around in his suit and top hat and his thong now.

As they applauded again, he started to search for the balls on the floor, while Octavia waited patiently. He picked up one of the balls and gave it to her. When he turned and bent down to look for the next one, she slapped him on the buttock. Her mischievous grin made the audience laugh again. He brought her a second and a third ball, but there didn't seem to be any more lying on the floor.

"Where are the others?" Octavia asked in a stage whisper.

He shrugged as he looked around some more. Then he asked her: "What did you do to my balls?"

Staring at his crotch, she replied: "Nothing yet." 

As the audience laughed, Sven squinted at her, thinking. 

Octavia placed her hands on her hips. "What are you looking at?"

"People always say you have balls, Octavia… I mean, Gali." And Sven approached her and put his hand under her skirt. She yelped in mock shock and when he pulled his hand back out, he was holding the last two red balls.

"The Trick with the Balls, everyone! Thank you." And they both bowed until the applause died away.

With another flourish, Sven announced: "And now, the Trick with the Box!"

Octavia frowned for a moment and asked: "What's the Trick with the Box?"

"I want to put my balls in your box, Gali." He emphatically waggled his eyebrows and vaguely gestured with the red balls in the general direction of her skirt. 

Laughter erupted from the audience as Octavia squinted with disapproval. She turned and walked off-stage for a moment to fetch a box the size of a pile of books, decorated with many tiny mirrors on the lid and the sides. When she returned to the stage, she handed the box to Sven, and he gave her the red balls.

"I will now make my balls disappear in Gali's box!" Sven grinned as he opened the lid and showed the box off. It had a left lid and a right lid that could open and close independently, and it seemed to be empty and otherwise normal. 

It was unclear whether the crowd laughed at Sven's joke again, or at Octavia rolling her eyes as she ceremoniously handed Sven the first ball.

Sven dropped the ball into the box and closed both lids. "Abracadabra!" He grinned at the audience as he angled the box right side down and opened the left lid. "And look! It's empty!" After showing it to the audience, he closed it again, then angled the box right side down and opened the left lid. "Completely empty! See?" He closed the lid and held out his hand for the next ball.

Octavia handed him another red ball and turned away from him, disparagingly shaking her head as he made the second ball 'disappear' in exactly the same way.

"And the box is still…" he paused to angle and shake the box. "...completely empty! See?"

As she handed him the next ball, she grumbled under her breath, but just loud enough for everyone to hear it. "Sven… What are you doing?"

He staunchly continued shaking the box before opening one of the lids and showing half of the bottom of the box to the audience. "I'm making my balls disappear in your box!" As if repeating the joke would make it any better.

With a sigh Octavia grabbed hold of the box, even though Sven was still holding it, she stuffed the last two balls in it and shook the box. The noise the closed box made suggested there were several balls inside it. Sven blushed and opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head at him while she stared him down. 

For a moment they stood there, their hands on the box, and their eyes locked. The audience watched with baited breath. Then Octavia started to speak.

"Am I the only one here who can do magic? This enchantment that makes your mind go blank and open? I want you to pay attention for a moment. No jokes. No distractions. Just my eyes. Lulling you to sleep."

When she pulled the box out of his hands, his eyes closed and head flopped down dramatically as he swayed on his feet. Seemingly worried that he would fall, Octavia dropped the box on the podium to grab him by the shoulders and hold him steady. Behind her on the floor the box broke open, showing the empty bottom to everyone in the audience, all of the balls had disappeared. The audience cheered and applauded quickly, impressed but also impatient to find out what would happen next.

When all was quiet again, Octavia continued: "Have you ever seen one of those illusionists from Vegas, Sven? The way they dance across the stage? The air of mystery and power in their every move? I'm certain you can do that too. As you take a deep breath, you can just feel yourself changing, growing more confident, more graceful and mysterious. You'll wake up a real illusionist on three. One, suave and charming. Two, elegant and ready perform real magic. And three, wide awake." With a hand on his shoulder, she looked at him expectantly.

Sven's posture changed as soon as he opened his eyes. Somehow, he looked even taller than before. He took his top hat off with a flourish and a bow, and then he dashed off stage with the grace of a real showman. When he returned a moment later, he pulled a large box the size of a closet onto the stage. It was decorated with lots of tiny mirrors, just like the smaller box. He placed the box center stage and then went down on one knee in front of Octavia to kiss her hand.

Octavia giggled and blushed. "What is this, Sven? Where did that box come from?"

He gave her a smouldering look and jumped to his feet again. He opened the box to show it off, and when he closed it again, he also took the time to turn it around to show off the glittering mirrors on the sides and the back of the box. When he was done, he opened the box again and theatrically motioned to Octavia, giving her another seductive look.

"You want me to get in the box?" She laughed nervously. "You're not going to saw it in half, are you?"

He inclined his head and took a step closer to cup her jaw in his hand. This moment of eye-contact was so different than a few minutes ago, he was leading her now, convincing her to step into the box, with only his eyes. She took a deep breath and finally nodded. He backed away and held the door open for her. As she stepped inside, something rattled against the side of the box.

"What's that?" She picked it up and tuned to show it to the audience. "Sven, everyone knows I hate chains. They're heavy and cold and ouchie." The audience had a quick laugh at the role reversal and her choice of words.

The chains jangled ominously as Sven slowly pulled them out of the box to show off the length and the fact that one end was bolted to the inside of the box. Then he slung the chains around her torso and arms and pulled it through another metal loop inside the box. Then he pulled the chains through a hole in the side of the box and stepped aside to pull the chain whilst showing to the audience how uncomfortable that made Octavia.

With her arms pressed to her sides by the chains, she squirmed and complained: "Sven, what is the point of this exercise? I'm not actually enjoying any part of this. What are you going to…"

Sven reached over to place his finger on her lips. Her eyes grew large and a hush came over the crowd. Dan approached the stage with a nervous look, but Talon laid their hand on his shoulder and moved in to hold him close. It seemed to be all part of the show, after all.

With a flashy move, Sven pulled the chain tighter one more time and Octavia grimaced at the crowd. Then he closed the door of the box and turned the box around while holding the chain taut. When he had taken the box full circle and returned to the same place again he smirked at the audience. Suddenly, he pulled the chains out through the hole in the side until all of it was lying in a pile at his feet, no longer attached to anything. As the audience applauded politely, he bowed and then moved to the front of the box. But as he opened the door and showed the audience that the box was empty now, he tripped over the pile of chains and fell on his back. 

The cheers from the crowd turned into concern as several people tried to get up on the stage to check on Sven. He sat up and gave the audience a goofy grin. 

"The Trick with the Box, everyone!" He rose to his feet and urged everyone to get off the stage and just applaud. He seemed to be back to his old self, not a hint of grace or smoulder. He wandered around the stage for a moment and then approached the audience, clearing his throat.

"Have you seen Gali? Where did she go?"

There was a moment of confused silence before Octavia walked onto the stage from the side with a beaming smile. "Sven, you goofball!"

They joined hands and bowed for a moment, letting the crowd applaud. 

Finally, Sven raised his right hand above his head. "And now, the Trick with the Hand, everyone!"

The audience went quiet and waited for the next trick. Octavia also raised her hand just like Sven. And then Sven started to wave. "Goodbye! Thank you."

**Author's Note:**

> please suggest more tags in the comments
> 
> Dear reader, did you like this story? Feel free to leave questions here that you would like to ask Octavia if you ran into her in the dungeon, or if you went to one of her classes. And perhaps in the next chapter, she will answer your question.


End file.
